Air conditioner with compact centrifugal fan arrangement



J. BRANNICK 2,952,995

AIR CONDITIONER WITH COMPACT CENTRIFUGAL FAN ARRANGEMENT Sept. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 23, 1958 6 INVENTOR.

Jo/m Bram/ck His Af/omey 3 J- BRANNICK Sept. 20, 1960 AIR CONDITIONER WITH COMPACT CEN'IRIFUGAL FAN ARRANGEMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23, 1958 INVENTOR.

John Brannic/r H/ls Afforney Sept. 20, 1960 2,952,995

AIR CONDITIONER WITH COMPACT CENTRIF'UGAL FAN ARRANGEMENT Filed May 23, 1958 J. BRANNicK may ,2

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 John Bran/rick His Alto AIR CONDITIONER WITH COMPACT CENTRIFUGAL FAN ARRANGEMEN J. BRANNICK Sept. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 23, 1958 INVENTOR.

John Bmnn/c/r 5 His Attorney United States Patent We AIR CONDITIONER WITH COMPACT CENTRIFU- GAL FAN ARRANGEMENT John Brannick, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 23, 1958, Ser. No. 737,297

6 Claims. (Cl. 6229'5) This invention pertains to refrigerating apparatus and especially to window air conditioners.

Window air conditioners have certain objectionable aspects. They take up some window space, cutting off light and vision. They also extend into the room'or outside the window or both. These projections are objectionable and often out of harmony with the surroundings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compact window air conditioner of adequate capacity which will take a smaller part of the window area and project a smaller distance into the room or to the outside.

It is another object of this invention to provide a window air conditioner in which the base is impervious and also serves as the condensate pan and has special locating dimples thereon for properly locating and fastening a unitary refrigerating system and a blower unit and to enclose these units by a cover fitting over both units onto the base. I

It is another object of this invention to provide a window air conditioner in which the air inlets and outlets are so located thatthe conditioner may be placed in a double hung window with the long faces parallel to the pane but which also can be placed perpendicular to the panes in a casement window.

These and other objects are attained in the form shown in the drawings in. which a sheet aluminum or steel base pan has turned up edges so as to collect condensate. The base pan has raised locating dimples receiving mounting brackets welded or brazed thereon. These mounting brackets support a unitary refrigerating system includingthe evaporator of the pin fin type located parallel to one end wall while the condenser is located parallel to and adjacent one of the long wall faces. The condenser blower is located between and near the middle of the long faces and draws air through one-half of the condenser and is opposite and discharges the air through the other half of the condenser. The sealed motor-compressor unit is placed in a corner between one-half of the condenser and its blower.

The blower unit is separate from the refrigerating system and includes the condenser blower, the evaporator blower which is located between the evaporator and the condenser blower, and a common driving motor supported and located between the two blowers. The partition wall separating the room air from the outside air in the conditioner forms the side of the evaporator blower nearest the condenser blower. The room air inlets and outlets are provided in the corner diagonally opposite the condenser so that the unit can either be placed in a double hung window with the long faces parallel to the pane, or for a casement window it may be turned with the long faces perpendicular to the panes with the corner containing the room air inlets and outlets located within the room while the remainder of the unit includes the condenser. The motor compressor unit and the condenser blower are located outside the room. A casing forming the top, end and face walls fits over the base pan to complete the unit. A filter is slidably mounted on the 2,952,995 Patented Sept. .20, 1960 front face of the evaporator and is removable through a vertical door located in the room air inlet and outlet corners of the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown. t

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a window air conditioner embodying one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the conditioner as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the conditioner shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an end vertical sectional view of the conditioner shown in Figures 1-3;

Figure 5 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 3 but without the casing showing the refrigerating system in full lines while the blower unit assembly is shown in dotted and dash lines so as to show the separateness of the two units; I

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view through a window showing the normal position with the long faces parallel to the window in full lines while the perpendicular position of the conditioner is shown in dotted and dash lines;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of the base pan showing the dimples provided for locating the lower motor-compressor unit support;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing the motor-compressor unit lower support mounted over the dimples shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the base showing two locating dimples of different size provided for the mounting bracket; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of base showing the mounting bracket applied to the dimples shown in Figure 9. Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a H.P. window air conditioning unit only 10%;" high, 13%;" wide and 23 4 long. It is provided with an outer casing 20 having a top wall 21, end walls 24, a front wall 26 and a rear wall 28. The end wall 24 shown has a room air inlet and grille 30 adjacent the near corner. On the face 26 adjacent the near corner there is provided a vertically hinged door 32 which is spaced away from the door opening 173 so that it allows the in-flow of air through the door opening in the closed position while it conceals the door opening. The filter can be installed and removed through the opening 173 by opening the door 32. This door 3-2 is held closed normally by a tension spring 33.

At the side of the door 32 on the front face 26 are three rectangular grilles 34, 36 and 38. The two upper grilles 34 and 36 are room air discharge grilles and have directional passages therethrough. They may be removed and reinserted in different positions so as to direct the air in any one of four different directions. The lower grille 38 is a room air inlet grille. The top wall 21 adjacent to the grille 34 is likewise provided with a room air discharge grille 40 which, however, is circular in shape and directional. It may be rotated to direct the air in any desired direction. Between the grille 40 and the grille 30 in the top wall 21 there is provided a control knob and dial 4-2 for controlling the air conditioning unit. Between the grilles 34-38 inclusive, and the remote end of the cabinet 20 there is provided a removable decorative panel 44 for matching the door 32 to provide an attractive appearance to the cabinet.

The condenser opening is provided upon the rear face 28 of the cabinet directly opposite the panel 44.

When the cabinet is placed in the window with the front 26 either parallel or perpendicular to the Window, the inlet 30, the door 32, and the grilles 3440 inclusive, must be inside the'window exposed to the interior of the room as illustrated in Figure 6 by the full and dot dash;

lines. The condenser opening 145 on the opposite face 28 must be exposed to'the outside atmosphere. This allows the cabinet 20 to be moved forwardly into'the into the base pan, the parts are mounted upon brackets located by impervious dimples formed in-the base and projecting upwardly. For example, the lower mount; ing for the motor-compressor unit 50 includes a flanged ring 52 (see Figure 8) having a set of locating apertures 54 which fit over'the upwardly projecting dimples 56 provided at the proper location in the base pan 46. The ring 52 is therefore located by the dimples 56 accurately without difficulty and held in place by brazing or welding.

The mounting brackets 58 which are J-shaped in cross section are used for supporting the blower unit as well as the evaporator. These mounting brackets 58 are made identical and are located and oriented by having a large locating hole 60 and a small locating hole 62 in their large bottom surface. Properly located large and small dimples 7 64. and 66 are provided at suitable places in the base pan welded or brazed :to the base pan 46 the complete refrigerating system shown in full lines in Figure .5 is then mounted thereon. The motor-compressor unit 50 has a rubber disc 68 provided at its lower end which fits within 7 the flanged ring of the support 52 to provide a simple coaxial vibration absorbing mounting. The motor-compressor has a discharge member 70 to which connects a tube 72 connecting with a super heat removing coils 74 through which the compressed gases pass to cool them 7 before they are returned through the connection 76 to V the upper portion of the sealed unit. After circulating through the sealed unit 50, this compressed gas is removed to the connection 78 which connects through the tubing 80 with the condenser proper 82. r

The condenser 82 includes a first pass 84 nearest the rear face and a second pass86 both of which extend between the two flanged condenser end supports 88. A third pass 90 is also provided which; however, terminates at a middle dividing W811i 92. The end plates 88 of the condenser 82 are VL-shaped and have their outwardly facing flanges fastened to the adjacent flanges 48 of the base pan 46. The bottom of the third pass 90 of the condenser 821's connected by a small liquid tube 93 to a filter dryer unit 94 connected by the lscrew'9'6 to a bracket provided on the shell 98 surrounding the evaporator 121. The filter. dryer 94 drains into another capillary tube 123 which is soldered to the suction line 125 extending from the outlet of the evaporator 121 to the inlet of the motorcompressor unit 50. After these parts are fastened in place, an inverted L-shaped bracket 127 is fastened over the motor-compressor unit'50 with its lower end being fastened to the center .ofithe top of the'sealed unit 50 to provide an upper fastened to the top shell 131 of the condenser 82. The

discharge portion of the condenserblower casing 133 is provided with a forked vertical edge 141 on its left slde which fits tightly the vertical center strip 92 of the condenser 82. This makes it possible for a tight seal to be obtained by sliding the forked edge 141 onto the strip 92 to keep separate the air flowing from the outside through the three pass portion 'of the condenser82 to the inlets 135, 137 from the air discharged through the two pass portion. a The discharge portion 139 at its opposite edge has an extension 143 provided with a forked or sealing edge engaging the adjacent 'end support 88 of the condenser 82. This arrangement assures an efficient circulation of air through the large opening 145 in the rear face 28 of the cabinet 20 and through the three pass portion of the condenser82 around the sealed motor-compressor unit 50 and in through either of the inlets. 135 or 137 into the blower casing 133. a Within the blower casing 133there is provided a relatively wide squirrel-cage type centrifugal blower wheel 147 having its open side adjacent the inlet 135 and having a closed side 149 connected to the .hub 15.1. Arsecond narrow centrifugal blower wheel 153 is provided at the side of. the blower wheel 147 and has its open side direct:

ly adjac'entthe inlet 137. The closed side of this narrow blower wheel is likewise fastened to the hub 151. The hub 151 is connected to one end of motor shaft 155 of a double ended shaft electric motor 157 one end of which projects through the opening 137 in the condenser blower housing 133. The narrow blower wheel 153 is provided for insuring that an adequate flow of air will flow around the blower motor 157 passing between it and theperiphery of the opening 137 to keep it properly cool.

The blower wheels both discharge through the outlet 139 of the condenser blower scroll 133 through 'the two pass portion of the condenser-.82 between the center divider strip 92 and the end portion 143. The arrangement of drawing the air first through the three pass portion of the condenser and then discharging the air through the two pass of the condenser provides the base conditions for the operation of the blower noted to get the greatest cooling eifect of the condenser.

The condenser blower scroll 133 is connected by three wide U-shaped. brackets 159 to a partition or dividing 7 wall 161 which extends between the base pan 46 and the casing 20 to seal and divide the condenser air compartment containing the motor-compressor unit 50, the condenser 82; and the condenser blower scroll 133 as well as the fan motor 157 from the room air compartment containing the evaporator 121, the air filter 175 and the evaporatorblower scroll 163. The partition wall 161 forms the adjacent side of the evaporator blower scroll 163 and is provided with a plastic insert 165 projected toward the evaporator 121 to provide room for the adjacent end of the blower motor 157. The evaporating blower scroll 163 has a single inlet 167 communicating with the inner face of the evaporator 121. The evaporator blower scroll 1163 is provided with a shroud 169 connecting directly with the evaporator shell 98. V V

The evaporator shell 98 is provided with the slideways 171 on the face opposite the evaporator blower scroll 163 which are aligned with the door opening 173 behind the door-.32 sothat the filter 175 maybe readi- 1y removed and replaced merely by opening the door 32 and pulling out the filter 175 directly therethrough.

The evaporator 121 has upper and lower headers 120 connected by thin wide vertical ducts 122 containing corrugated wire fins. Between the ducts 122 are the corrugated wire fins 124. This construction makes it possible to obtain adequate heat transfer within the dimensions of 9 high by 8 1 wide and 1%" thick for a 4 ton window unit, allowing the evaporator to be located parallel to the end walls 24. This makes possible the compact arrangement.

The adjacent end of the shaft of the motor 157 projects through the portion 165 of the partition Wall 161 and fastens to the hub 177 of the evaporator blower wheel 179. The evaporator blower scroll 163 has a lip 181 turned forwardly and provided with a seal and an upper lip 1'83 turned upwardly and provided with a seal. The side of the scroll 163 is also sealed to the front wall 46 thereby providing a sealed discharge chamber at the outlet of the evaporator blower casing communicating with the room air discharge grilles 34, 36 and 46. The room air is drawn in through the room air inlet grilles 30 and 38 and through the door opening 173 into the interior of the room air compartment and then passes through the filter 175, the evaporator 121, the shroud 169, and the inlet 167 into the evaporator blower wheel 179 from which it is discharged through the scroll 173 and its discharge outlet between the lips 181 and 183 through the grilles 34, 36 and 40 into the room.

The motor 157 is provided with straps 185 parallel to its axis which are fastened and supported by blocks of an elastomer such as natural or synthetic rubber which are bonded to the straps 185 and the brackets 159 to provide a resilient mounting for the motor 157. The control for the refrigerating system is provided by the switch 189 which is mounted on an extension 191 of the evaporator shell 98. This switch 189 provides an electrical connection from the source of electrical supply to the motor compressor unit 50 and the blower motor 157 and also the controls for the sealed motor-compressor unit 50. These controls are preferably mounted on the partition wall 163. The partition wall 163 may be provided with suitable elastomeric sealing strips be tween its periphery and the casing 20.

The conditioner is compact particularly by the arrangement of parts as disclosed herein aided by the use of the so-called pin fin type of evaporator which in reality is a corrugated wire fin type. The entire interior of the unit is made accessible merely be removing the casing 20. To keep the conditioner light in weight, the evaporator, base pan, casing, blower housings and the sheet metal partition may be made of aluminum.

Beneath the evaporator 121, the shell 98 is formed into a drip pan 192 which rests on a block of foam plastic insulation 193. This drip'pan 192 is drained by a tube 195 of an elastomer such as rubber or plastic extending on the base pan 46 to the condenser blower scroll 133 which is provided with bottom inlets so that the condensate will flow into its interior. The air movement within the scroll is sufficient to pick up the condensate and carry it to the adjacent portion of the condenser 82 upon which it will be evaporated into the air being discharged from the scroll 133 through the condenser 82 to the outside atmosphere.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An air conditioner including a casing adapted to be positioned at a window of a space to be conditioned, a partition wall dividing said easing into a condenser air compartment and an evaporator air compartment, an evaporator centrifugal fan scroll having one side integral with said partition wall and an inlet opening in the opposite side, an evaporator parallel and adjacent to said opposite side and a shroud extending around said evaporator connecting with said inlet, a double-ended fan motor located on the opposite side of said partition wall, a condenser fan scroll spaced from and connected to said partition wall, said casing having a vertically elongated discharge grille means on the same side of said partition wall at one side of said evaporator fan scroll, said evapo rator fan scroll having its discharge portion extending to and connecting with said grille means, a centrifugal fan in each of said scrolls connected to the opposite ends of said fan motor, a condenser connected in series with said condenser fan, a motor-compressor unit operatively connected to said evaporator and condenser, and flow control means operatively connecting said condenser and evaporator.

2. An air conditioner for a room including a rectangular box shaped casing having a room air inlet opening in a small side thereof and a room air outlet, an upright evaporator adjacent said small side thereof, said casing having in a long vertical side a long upright opening and a door pivoted on a vertical axis for closing said opening, said evaporator being provided adjacent its inlet face a set of upper and lower slideways substantially aligned with said upright opening, an upright air filter slidable in an upright position into and out of said slideways through said upright opening, means for circulating air from the room through said room air inlet and said filter and said evaporator and said outlet, and refrigerant liquefying means for supplying liquid refrigerant to and withdrawing evaporated refrigerant from said evaporator.

3. An air conditioner for a room including a rectangular box shaped casing having a room air inlet opening in a small side thereof and a room air outlet, an upright evaporator adjacent said small side thereof, said casing having in a long vertical side a long upright opening and a door for closing said opening, said evaporator being provided adjacent its inlet face a set of upper and lower slideways substantially aligned with said upright opening, an upright air filter slidable in an upright position into and out of said slideways through said upright opening, means for circulating air from the room through said room air inlet and said filter and said evaporator and said outlet, and refrigerant liquefying means for supplying liquid refrigerant to and withdrawing evaporated refrigerant from said evaporator, said door being spaced away from said upright opening a slight distance to provide an additional room air inlet.

4. An air conditioner including a casing adapted to be positioned at a window of a space to be conditioned, a partition wall dividing said casing into a condenser air compartment and an evaporator air compartment, an evaporator centrifugal fan scroll having one side integral with said partition wall and an inlet opening in the opposite side, an evaporator parallel to said opposite side and a shroud extending around said evaporator connecting with said inlet, a double-ended fan motor located on the opposite side of said partition wall, a condenser fan scroll spaced from and connected to said partition wall, an upright condenser at one side of said condenser fan scroll and fastened to said scroll, a base supporting said casing and said wall and said evaporator and condenser, an upright sealed motor-compressor unit having a resilient mounting of elastomeric material between it and the base, a member having one end fastened to the base and the other end fastened to the upper portion of said condenser and having an intermediate portion extending over said sealed unit, and a resilient mounting of elastomeric material between and connecting said intermediate portion and the upper portion of said sealed unit.

5. An air conditioner including an impervious base pan having upwardly extending locating dimples, a refrigerating system having supports provided with apertures fitting over some of said locating dimples on said pan, said supports being bonded to said pan, said system including a condenser'and an evaporator, a blower unit hav ing supports provided with apertures fitting over'other of said locating dimples, the supports of said blower unit being bonded to said pan, said blower unit having a fan for circulating air in heat transfer with'said evaporator, and means for circulating a cooling medium in heat transfer with said condenser '6. An air conditioner including a box-shaped casing adapted to be positioned at a window of a space to be conditioned, a partition wall dividing the interior of said casing into a condenser air compartment and an evaporator air compartment, a thin'upright condenser extending adjacent and parallel to one upright wall of said casing transverse to and upon one side of said partition wall, said one upright wall being open substantially coextensive with said condenser, a centrifugal fan and motor having located in said condenser air, compartment with their axes at one side of and parallel to said condenser, a condenser centrifugal fan scroll surrounding said centrifugal fan and having a discharge outlet extending directly to and connecting withthe inner upright face of said condenser for-discharging; air directly through said condenser and having an axial inlet for drawing air from said condenser air compartment, an evaporator and evaporator fan means in said evaporator air compartment, refrigerant flow control means connecting said condenser and evaporator, and a motor compressor unit operably connected to said evaporator and condenser. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,105,205 Steinfeld Jan. 11, 1938 2,120,208 Paschal Iune7, 1938 2,290,973 Jewell July 28, 1942 2,386,303 Eberhart Oct. 9, 1945 2,796,745 Rose June 25, 1957 

